Folding hat.



PATENTED OCT. 27, 1903.

I R. PLATO.

FOLDING HAT. APPLIOATION FILED JULY'ZZ, 190' NO MODEL.

WITNESSES:

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' of a top D and a bottom forming in shape Patented October 27, 1909;. I

PATENT OFFICE.

ROBERT PLATO, on NEW YORK, N. Y.

FOLDING HAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 742,731, dated October 27, 1903.

Application filed July 22,1903. SerialNo. 166,552.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT PLATO, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Manhattan, in the county and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Folding Hat, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

The invention relates to outing-hats made of canvas or like fabric material; and its object is to provide a new and improved folding hat which is simple and durable in construction, cheap to manufacture, and arranged to allow of folding into a comparatively small space without danger of impairing the stiffness of the brim of the hat.

The invention consists of novel features and parts and combinations of the same, as will be more fully described hereinafter and then pointed out in the claims.

A practical embodiment of the invention is represented in the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improvement extended for use. Fig. 2is a plan view of the same, parts being broken out. Fig. 3 is an enlarged transverse section of the improvement. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of the improvement folded up, and Fig. 5 is a view of one of the stiffeners.

The crown A of the hat is made of canvas or similar fabric material and is provided with an interior lining B and an exterior hatband C. The brim D of the hat is also formed of canvas or a similar material and consists D connected with each other at their outer edges and fastened at their inner edges by stitches E to the lower edge of the crown A, the stitches also fastening a sweat-band F in position in the crown.

The brim D is provided with radial seams D, the stitches of which unite the top D with the bottom D so as to form a plurality of compartments for the reception of stiffeners Gr, each of which consists of a body G, conto the compartment and preferably made of a stifiening fabric, such as coarse open-mesh canvas, and end margins of the and on the outer said body G is arranged a spring-wire G and a binding G6 serves for holding the wire in position on the said body G. Each stiffener, after being placed in its respective compartment, is preferably secured in position by stitches H, which extend through the top D, bottom D and the stiffeners G,- as plainly illustrated in Figs. 1, 2, and 4. Now by the arrangement described the stiffeners give the desired stifiness to the brim; but the sections of the latter can be readily folded one on the other, owing to the radial compartments D (see Fig. 4,) to allow of conveniently folding the hat into a comparatively small space, it being understood that the crown A also readily folds up, owing to the nature of the material of which it is made. When the hat is extended, the stiffeners G give the desired appearance to the brim, so that the same is not liable to wrinkle up and collapse.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A folding hat having a brim consisting of top and bottom layers, said brim being provided with radial seams to divide the brim into sections, and a stifiener for each section, said stiffener being interposed between the top and bottom of the section, the stiffener consisting of a body of flexible material, conforming to the shape of the section, a stifiening spring-wire following the outer and end marginal lines of the said body and a binding around the outer marginal edges of the stifiener said binding overreaching said marginal wire and lapping over and under said marginal edges of the stiffener and stitched thereto as set forth.

2. A folding hat having a brim consisting of top and bottom layers, said brim being provided with radial seams, to divide the brim into sections, and a stiffener for each section, interposed between the top and bottom of the section, the stifiener consisting of a body of a lining fabric, conforming to the shape of the section, a stifiening spring-wire following the outer and end marginal lines of the said body and a binding for binding the wire in place on the said body, as set forth.

3. A folding hat having a brim consisting of top and bottom layers, said brim being provided with radial seams, to divide the, brim ing the stiifeners in position in the brim-sec- IO into sections, a stiffener for each section, intions, as set forth. terposed between the top and bottom of the In testimony whereof I have signed my section, the stiffener consisting of a body of name to this specification in the presence of 5 a lining fabric, conforming to the shape of two subscribing witnesses.

the section, a stiffening spring-wire following v ROBERT PLATO. the outer and end marginal lines of the said Witnesses: body and a binding for binding the Wire in THEO. G. HOSTER,

place on the said body, and means for fasten- EVERARDJBOLTON MARSHALL. 

